17th May 2015 - St Patrick`s Parish Armagh

Parish Office
T 3752 2813
Cathedral
T 3752 2638
St Malachy’s T 3751 0516
SVP Help Line T 07733 482604
Parish Safeguarding The contact persons for
the Parish are Aileen or Maura:
armaghparishsafeguarding@gmail.com or
07895 460797. Any visitor to the sacristy of any
church must sign the visitors book.
Cathedral Shop Mon-Sat 10.30am - 4.00pm &
Sun 12 noon -5.30pm. First Holy Communion
and Confirmation items now in stock. The
parish wishes to thank all the volunteers in the
Cathedral shop for their hard work and
dedication throughout the year.
Abbey Lotto: 1, 20, 26, 28 . One matched 3.
Next week’s Jackpot £1300.
Eugene Quinn Handball Lotto: 8, 17, 20. No
winner. Next week’s jackpot £250.
Armagh Parkrun, a FREE weekly 5k timed
run, walk or jog. Every Saturday from 9.30am
at the Palace Demesne. Contact Edel
37529636 or www.parkrun.org.uk/armagh
Medjugorje Pilgrimages Family Pilgrimages
15th July and 12th August. Call Anthony on
07753406356
Milford Community Development
Association Jiving classes in The Old School
House Friday 7.30pm. Adm £5 Forever
Young at the Old School House - A
programme of activities for those 50+ aimed at
improving pysical and mental well-being,
Mondays 11am-12.30pm
A Rosary at Our Lady’s Statue There will be a Rosary said in honour of Our Lady at the
entrance to Dalton Estate before Our Lady’s statue on Monday 18th May after 7.30pm Mass,
and at this time each Monday during May. Please join in, all welcome.
The Little Sisters of the Poor in Waterford are hosting an open day on 27th June for young men
and women to celebrate the year of consecrated life. As part of this event there will be workshops
throughout the day in our home, giving the young people of Ireland a chance to talk with different
religious congregations. Contact lspwaterford@eircom.net or Sr. Mairead: 00353 51 833006
Lourdes pilgrimage will be lead by the Carmelites Priests from 27th Sept to 2nd Oct 2015. For
booking contact Jerry Gribbon on 028737522422
Armagh Cardiac Support Group will hold their usual monthly meeting in Mullinure Hopsital on
Monday 18th May. The topic will be Pain Management. Everyone welcome.
The Parish Bereavement Group will next meet on Wednesday 20th May in the Cathedral Gate
Lodge at 8pm. This is an opportunity for those who have been bereaved to come together in a
relaxed, caring and supportive environment, having experienced the loss of a family member or
friend. All are welcome
The Annual General Meeting of the Cardinal Tomás Ó Fiaich Memorial Library & Archive
will be held in the library lecture room on Wednesday 27 May at 7.00 pm followed by the AGM
of Cairde Uí Fhiach: friends of the Cardinal Ó Fiaich Library. All welcome. Tel: 028 3752 2981.
Anam Cara is holding its monthly Parent Evening on Wednesday 27th of May 2015 from 7:30
to 9pm in the County Armagh Golf Club, 7 Newry Road, Armagh, BT601EN. All Anam Cara
Services are available free of charge to bereaved parents.
Dominican Contemplative Nuns welcome young women to our retreat house and we offer the
opportunity to experience our life of prayer. Pray with us as we celebrate the Eucharist & Divine
Office, in silence, adore the Lord with us in the Blessed Sacrament. Meet and chat with young
Sisters who have been where you are. Discernment Weekends: 29th-31st May & 19th-21st June
Adorers required for adoration chapel in St Malachy’s Church at 10am on Sunday. Contact Nora
McBrien on 02837 525265 if you can commit to these times.
Website: www.armaghparish.net
Email: armaghparish@btconnect.com
facebook.com/ArmaghParish
twitter.com/ArmaghParish
17th May 2015 - The Ascension of the Lord
Reflection:
Today we celebrate the feast of the Ascension and the story could easily disturb us as it’s a story of
leave taking and farewell. Like the disciples gathered on the outskirts of Jerusalem, we too find
ourselves at times, in strange and frightening places, where we feel lonely and ill equipped to carry
on or keep going. In writing about the Ascension many years ago, St Augustine wrote: “You
ascended from before our eyes. We turned back grieving, only to find you in our hearts”. In effect,
that’s what we’re celebrating today and the feast reminds us that if we’re looking for the Lord, we
need a new way of seeing and a new way of following and that’s what we call faith.
If we’re looking for Jesus, our faith tells us that we will find him in the community that follows him
and especially when we gather to celebrate the Eucharist. As we listen to the words in today’s first
reading: “Why are you standing here looking into the sky?” we realise that we must not wait around
in loneliness or puzzlement but rather, we must get up and get on with the task. The parting words
of Jesus call us to give witness and his words challenge us to live our lives in such a way that others
will become aware of God’s presence in our lives.
The fear experienced by the women and the disciples at the end of Mark’s Gospel shows us that
even when we have profound spiritual experiences, fear can often force us into silence. Today’s
account of the ascension urges us not to be afraid but to go out. The Gospel of Mark is a Gospel for
hard times, for those who are struggling and this ending aims to empower us and gives us courage
even when the world around us tells us otherwise. It urges us to “Go” and tell.
The disciples went out, bringing “good news” everywhere and we too are called to be Easter people
because we live with an assurance that pain, death and grief wont have the last word and we dare to
shine the light of hope and wholeness into the empty tomb.
As we celebrate this special feast, we might ask ourselves, where have we encountered Easter
people in our own lives? How do we communicate the risen Jesus to others? How can we be Easter
people to others? This is the challenge of the Gospel today....to bring Christ’s love and assurance to
all whom we meet.
We welcome members of Viatores Christi to our parish this weekend. Viatores Christi is an
association of Catholic lay missionary development workers which recruits, prepares and
facilitates the placement of lay people in areas of need in Africa, Asia and South America. Its
members raise awareness about the missionary work of the Church and the role of lay
missionaries, at home and overseas. They have come to thank the people of our parish for our
support over the years and also to speak with anyone who may feel called to volunteer their time,
skills and talents. In visiting parishes in our diocese, they’re also appealing for ongoing help both
financially and through our prayers. A second collection is being taken up at all Masses this
weekend in aid of their work.
The Year of Consecrated Life will be celebrated in St Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday 6
September to honour all the religious from our parish during this special year. Anyone who has
contact details for religious who have lived and worked here in the past and who have now moved
elsewhere are asked to contact Eleanor at the Parish Office before Fri 29th May.
RECENTLY DECEASED: Tom Donnelly, Noel Cawley, Patricia McGuirk, Teresa Carroll,
Mary Cunningham, Michael Devlin, Brian Toner, Patricia Connolly
Months Mind: Margaret Pattison 16th May, Eddie Doran 18th May,
Kathleen Helena Donnelly 24th May
Weekly Collection amounted to £6881.42 & €165.63. Thank you
All requests for prayers and Masses are to be arranged through the Parish Office. All
Anniversaries and Month’s Minds must be left in the Parish Office by 12 noon on the Thursday
of the week prior to the intention being remembered.
Coeliacs any coeliacs who wish to receive communion should inform priests in the sacristy before
the celebration of Mass.
First Communion Celebrations Congratulations to all the young people in our parish who have
celebrated their first Holy Communion over the last few weeks. A special word of thanks to all
who were involved in helping to preprare the children for this special milestone in their lives.
Confirmation Dates 2015
Saturday 23 May
Sunday 24th May
Christians Brothers PS
St Malachy’s PS
Mt St Catherines PS
St Patrick’s PS
Our Lady’s PS
Saints & Schollars PS
Give me your Holy Spirit
O God our Father, give me your Holy Spirit in my heart and in my mind, that I may ever choose
what is right, that I may know what choice to make and what choice to reject. Give me your Holy
Spirit to fill my heart with good desires to make my life wise with knowledge, beautiful with love,
useful with service. Give me your Holy Spirit, to enlighten the scriptures for me and to fill my life
with the fruits which only He can give. AMEN
Cemetery Sunday 2015
Tullysaran Old Cemetery Saturday 6 June 7.30pm,;Tullysaran New Cemetery Sunday 7 June 10am;
Knockaconey Tuesday 9 June; St Patrick’s Cemetery Armagh Sunday 28 June 12 noon
ST COLMCILLES, KNOCKACONEY
St Colmcille's GAC lotto 13th May 2015: 8,10,15,19. Six match 3.Next week's Jackpot £3350
St Colmcille’s GAC Grange Club Notes Congratulations to Armagh Ladies Senior Team on
winning back to back National league titles. We also wish good luck to Ciara Rafferty, Colleen
McKenna and Olivia McElmeel and the rest of Armagh Ladies Minor team in the Ulster Final on
Saturday. Well done to the Men’s Senior team on winning the first round of the Intermediate
Championship against local rivals Collegeland last Friday night.
Cardiac Screening Healthy Hearts will be attending St Colmcille's Grange Club on Sat 6th June
from 9.30am. Screening is open to anyone (members and non-mambers) between the ages of 14
and 35. Cost £35 payable on the day. To book contact Mary on 07815315655.
The Social club is available for any event for the benefit of the people of the area, be it a
christening, after wedding party or charity fundraiser etc. Contact a committee member if you
wish to use the club. We will be asking for peoples opinions as to what they would you like to see
take place for the local community, be it a walking club or Bingo. Up coming nights include a
quiz night and a night at the races so why not come along and enjoy a good night’s entertainment.
Knockaconey Youth Choir and Folk Group Plans are in progress to form a youth Choir. Any
young person who can sing or play an instrument are invited to join. If interested, please leave
your name and contact details in the sacristy after Mass or contact Marie Fairon on 02838891010.
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, TULLYSARAN
Novena Mass on Monday evening at 7.30pm
Tullysaran Lotto 09.05.15 :4-13-19-20. 2 x £10 winner. Next week jackpot £1,375
Community Centre: Spin classes continue at 6.30pm Monday evenings. Text 07779 098543 to
book your bike. Corebox also continues at 7pm Wednesday nights. Drop in class.
Tullysaran SVP Helpline 07738838035
Women in the Scriptures: the series, led by Fr Brian Lennon S.J. continues in The Synod Hall,
Armagh at 10.30am on Tuesday 19 and 26 May. Come along to learn more about these great
women and if you have a Bible, bring it with you! Tea/Coffee will be served.
Our Parish "Garment of Suffering" has been donated to help support the people of the
Phillipines. The rich garment which contains pieces of cloth that were provided by the people of
our parish was draped over the cross in St Malachy's Church at Easter. In it, we could see our
own sufferings and we could also see that many others share our sufferings and concerns. In
donating the garment as part of the Guagua Project in the Phillipines, we unite our sufferings and
struggles with the people of that country and we trust that the garment will be of great use and
benefit to many of the suffering people who live there.
Called & Gifted Two day conference on 29th & 30th May in Dromantine Conference Centre.
This is a beautiful opportunity for people to discover and own the gifts and charisms given to
them in their baptism. Contact 00353429336649 or PARISHANDFAMILY@GMAIL.COM M
Habitat for Humanity Northern Ireland will host a special evening of music and song with the
classical music trio The Priests in St Patrick’s RC Cathedral, Armagh on Friday 29th May 2015.
Tickets (£20) can be purchased at www.habitatni.co.uk or from Armagh Parish Office
Life in the Spirit Building on the joy filled experience of the recent Life in the Spirit Seminars,
Armagh Parish Pastoral Council are hosting a special evening of prayer and reflection with Dr
Tony Hanna in Mount St Catherine’s Primary School on Wednesday 27th May at 8pm. Many
people who attended the Seminars during Lent expressed a real interest in some follow up and in a
prayer group continuing in the parish. On the evening, Dr Hanna will give some advice and
direction on how we might sustain a prayer group in the future. All welcome to this special
gathering.
New Tourist Shuttle service from Belfast. A new service will provide visitors to Northern
Ireland the opportunity to see our city, and we are delighted that the Cathedral is one of the main
attractions on the shuttle service. There will be a guided tour of the Cathedral every Friday and
Saturday at 3pm from the end of May onwards and any visitor to the Cathedral is welcome to join
in these tours to find out more about the history of our beautiful Cathedral. With the increasing
number of tourists visiting our Cathedral, the parish invites anyone who may be interested in
volunteering as a Tour Guide in the Cathedral to contact the Parish Office. There’s a small
number of guides at present and the parish would welcome other guides to assist in this work.
Pilgrimage to Shrines of Italy, 15 th – 22nd September 2015 Visiting the cities of Venice and
Verona, Padua, Assisi, Loreto. £739 (Single Supplement £210). Spiritual Director: Fr Peter
McAnenly. More info at Parish Office.
ADYC Pilgrimage to Fatima & Camino 19-29 August 2015 ADYC are organising a
pilgrimage to Fatima and Camino Portugues this summer for 20 years plus. We will spend two
days in Fatima, five days walking the Camino Portugues and two full days in the historical city of
Santiago. Cost: £450. Contact Dermot on 028 3752 3084 or armaghyouth@yahoo.co.uk
Armagh Diocesan Youth Commission: “Assume” Summer Camp! 10 – 14 August and 17 – 21
August at Greenhill Centre, Newcastle. This is an adventure and a four night, faith based
residential for 12 – 14 year olds. More details at armaghyouth@yahoo.co.uk or call 028 37523084
World Youth Day 2016: Armagh Diocese will lead a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Krakow,
Poland in July 2016. Any young people (aged between 16 and 30) who are interested are asked to
contact armaghyouth@yahoo.co.uk or call 028 37523084